Graham council candidate Chip Turner: 'I’ll work hard for my city'

GRAHAM — Chip Turner says the city is headed in the right direction and has a city council focused on the right things.

Turner wants to stay a part of it in a second council term, “to give back to the town that has given so much to me,” Turner said, “I’ve been here all my life.”

Graham has a good city council, Turner says, because no one has an agenda other than serving the city and its people.

The council and city staff, Turner says, has kept Graham is in good financial shape and has avoided raising taxes even through a tough financial time.

The city has a strong infrastructure and a good water supply, Turner says, and it would help the city to get more houses to buy that water.

“There’s always somebody coming to look,” Turner said.

While more development would do a lot for the city, Turner says, Graham is now in good shape.

There are a lot of good projects in the works for Graham, Turner says, like the potential Project Swordfish and the Oneida Mills redevelopment.

Turner says he can play a role in seeing them through with, “my vote with the rest of the council,” Turner said. “We have good city staff also a police department and fire department.”

Voters need to know, “that I work hard, that I’m available, that I’m approachable and that I’ll work hard for my city.”

“That’s what people expect.”

Turner says he knows he, and the rest of the council, has been criticized for turning down the three-story apartment building off N.C. 54 and Woody Drive in August. The $11 million project looked like it could bring an economic bump to the city, but people living in the area overwhelmingly told the council they were against it.

“There were too many unknowns,” Turner said. “There were too many residents that were against it and fearful of the unknown.”

While there was criticism, there were also a lot of people happy the council turned it down.

“I’m just doing what I feel like the people want me to do,” Turner said. “Knowing you’re not going to please everyone you try to please as many as you can.”

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Name: Brice “Chip” Caldwell Turner II

Age: 61

Family: Daughter Kelley Turner lives in Graham and one granddaughter.

Education: Graham High School class of 1970, studied business at Alamance Community College.

Work: Retired from the North Carolina Department of Transportation after 30 years.

Politics: Elected to Graham City Council in 2009.

Political hero: Jack O’Kelley a county commissioner in the 1970s and Turner’s principal, “He taught values and believed in voting for the right thing.”